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from UWG; 2017 Award for Environmental Excellence from Keep Carroll Beautiful; 2017 Georgia Recreation and Parks Association Volunteer of the Year award; and 2018 Honorary Doctorate from UWG for Social Science research on the GreenBelt.

Richards currently serves as a national board member for the Trust for Public Land and 100 Miles, a GA non-profit, that helps protect the 100 miles of the Georgia coast. Past board service includes serving on the Carroll County Board of Health, Georgia and Alabama Land Trust, the PATH Foundation in Atlanta, and Tanner Medical Foundation in Carrollton.

She is currently a student again, this time at Columbia University where she is pursuing certification as a counselor for high schoolers. She is married to Jim Naughton and they have three teenage daughters.

“What a green belt does is give people a place to play in and a place to pray in,” Laura continued. “The GreenBelt gives our residents an opportunity to get back outdoors and enjoy the area.”

The rules of the trail are simple and straightforward: - ttrail is open to all non-motorized users, with the exception that motorized wheelchairs are allowed. - trail is open from dawn to dusk: closed at night - trail users shall not enter posted private property - alcoholic beverages, drugs, and non-permitted firearms are not allowed - vandalism and theft of trail amenities will result in prosecution - reckless use of bicycle which endangers other trail users is prohibited - it is asked that trail users do not smoke on the trail

“Trail users will discover the Little Tallapoosa River, the city park, the university, nature, neighborhoods, and even cattle. We may be the only green belt in the country where you can view cattle,” Richards added with a laugh. “It allows all of us to enjoy the beauty of our part of the country!”

There are six easily accessible trailheads located around the City of Carrollton: • Laura’s Park at Hays Mill Trailhead, 480 Hays Mill Road, Carrollton: located immediately north of Hays Mill Overlook • Old Newnan Road Trailhead, 515 Old Newnan Road, Carrollton: located on Old Newnan Road across from the DMV office • Visitors Bureau Trailhead, 102 North Lakeshore Drive, Carrollton: located just off Bankhead Highway overseeing Lake Carroll • Lakeshore Park Trailhead, 600 North Lakeshore Drive, Carrollto: located across from baseball fields on Lakeshore Drive • Hobbs Farm Park Trailhead, 500 Believers Boulevard, Carrollton: from Adamson Square, travel north on Rome Street, turn right onto Believer’s Boulevard, continue to the parking area • Alabama Street Trailhead, Alabama Street, Carrollton: from Adamson Square, travel west on Alabama Street, pass Columbia Drive, the parking is on the right, just before the bridge

The CarrolltonGrenbelt also has an Adopt a Trail program. Individuals, families and organizations may get involved by supplementing the maintenance efforts by picking up litter, reporting repair needs and cleaning trail signage. To adopt a trail, volunteers are required to attend a half-an-hour orientation. If you or your organization are interested, go to carrolltongreenbelt.com.The website also contains trail resources and updates.

Laura said, “It is a testament to the value of partnerships, both personal and private. The GreenBelt is not possible without the cooperation of residents, business, the City of Carrollton, and the University of West Georgia. The University of West Georgia was the first green belt trail in the university system in the state. I need to give a shout out to the Carrollton Parks and Recreation who maintain the Greenbelt along with the volunteers who help with clean-ups. We are a model for other communities to come study and gather more information, like Newnan and LaGrange. Both the University and the City have received national recognition for their involvement in Carrollton GreenBelt.” An added benefit to the GreenBelt has been the establishment of events and gathering places such as Disc Golf, art exhibits, Outdoor Fit Court, 5Ks, and the Buffalo Creek Nature Trail. Reflecting back Laura Richards explained, “We knew the community needed it and it would be something we could always enjoy. The first step was to build a model mile and then everyone would get the concept. So we did - near the old soccer fields, and everyone did get it - adding 17 more miles. And now with the pandemic, residents are enjoying it now more than ever!” The Friends of the Carrollton GreenBelt is a grassroots organization that is striving to create an environmentally sensitive trail system in Carrollton while promoting health, fitness, and livability. Laura concluded her lunch visit with the Carrollton Kiwanians by reading her most favorite note about The Grenbelt. She received. the following from a 10 year old who wrote, “I am very thankful for you making the GreenBelt. I love riding my bicycle on it. Going there right now!”

Many, like this child, have take advantage of this Carrollton treasure.

For more information on Kiwanis of Carrollton visit www.carrolltonkiwanisclub.org. They meet every Friday at noon.

“Trail users will discover the Little Tallapoosa River, the city park, the university, nature, neighborhoods, and even cattle. We may be the only green belt in the country where you can view cattle,” Richards added with a laugh. There are six easily accessible trailheads located around the City of Carrollton